Little Known Secrets

Do you have a frugal tip that could help others but is not widely known? Would you mind sharing it with us? I don't think this one is widely known but I think it could be a big money saver over time. Years ago I read the frugality book, More With Less and found this tip in there. When taking a shower, turn on the faucet and stand under the showerhead just until wet and then turn it off while you soap up your entire body. Then turn the shower back on to rinse. Total water time should then be no more than one minute. This works best in a shower stall as the faucet is located high on the wall and easy to manuever. I personally turn the faucet on more than once during my shower but do whatever works for you.

Stacey, We have this little button on the side of our shower head that opens and closes the valve so you don't have to turn off and on the faucet. It works great, but I forgot where my DH got it.

I have a tip...I have several clean rags in my kitchen. Each day I use as many as I need for spills, quick wipes, cleaning, etc. They have saved me so much money on paper towels and I just toss them in the wash with the next load of laundry. I do use paper towels for jobs that are just too to deal with.

I am not sure if this is a Secret or not but when i go to buy something new I buy something that I can use in more then one way. and I try to figure out what i can use it for after it is done doing what i bought it for. I have also been freecycling alot lately I also buy a mulit cleaner so it saves me time and money don't have alot of extra bottles around, I know i could make my own cleaner but since I buy all my cleaners with coupons and markdowns it usally doesn't cost me that much anyway, I also buy sample size of things they last a while and don't take up as much room and the kids can carry them with them if they need to this works good for under arm stuff and toothpaste, I usally can get these things free with coupons when they don't state a size, also good for shampoos and conditoners as long as manufactures don't put a size on there.

Put used fabric softner sheets in the bottom of garbage cans to keep smelling fresh

Look for "extra" appliances at garage sales and thrift stores. Buy an extra at rock botton price. When your's decides to die, you have a new one on hand. No rushing out to buy a coffee pot and paying full price! I have one in my basement, new in the box that I paid 4.00 for!

Use potatoe peels for appetizers by baking with some bacon, cheese and the like

yes thrift stores are great. we have a few that benefit the DAV that are pretty nice and have good prices. just watch the prices at the different ones in your area and shop at the ones that really have thrift store prices.
some are more expensive than walmart.

I love these threads!! I agree with everything written!
-keep my bowl beside my prep area, everything gets composted for the garden
-use a oven rack for cooling my baked goods, lots of room when baking multiples!
-use a steamer basket on top of my pasta water, veggies steam while pasta cooks
-soup baggies in freezer, one for meats and one for veggies, all lo's get frozen which makes some great soups!!!!

I've used your shower tip when I go camping and I have to pay to use the shower. However, my water is so cheap that it probably wouldn't save me much to turn of the shower, etc. . . I love my showers and baths...so relaxing, and just a bit of luxury to have a nice, warm shower.

Hmmm...I guess one frugal secrets is FLEECE. It's warm and its lightweight, and better yet, it's inexpensive. I wear fleece jackets at home, snuggle up with fleece blankets, fleece p.j's, and I have fleece hats, gloves, scarves, etc....

I do this one all the time and my friend said it was new to her. I unplug the appliances in my kitchen when not using them. Like the coffepot, toaster, blender. I read that as long as it is plugged in, it is using a small current of electricity and costing money when not being used.

I stopped buying electric clocks for every room and replaced them with battery operated ones. I don't have to worry about power outages and re-setting a lot of clocks anymore. I do have electric clock radios in 2 bedrooms, though.

We eat our potato skins. I cook the potaoes in the microwave then crisp them up in the toaster over or big oven. We grew up eating the skins and it was not unusual for us but for everyone else, it seemed. That was BEFORE people wanted fried, stuffed potato skins. Funny what becomes popular that used to get a "ICK!" remark from others.

I shutt off the computer if I will be away from it for more than a half hour.

I shut off the heat on the thermostat when I leave the house. I switch it back on when I come back if I notice it feels chilly. Sometimes I don't notice for several hours if I am cooking and have heated the kitchen up already.

At night, if my feet are cold, I grab my hair blowdryer and turn it on and point it at my feet for a couple minutes to heat up under the covers. Once it feels toasty warm., I fall asleep without any problem.

When using soap-filled scrubbing pads like SOS, wet the object to be scrubbed instead of the pad. The pad lasts a lot longer and doesn't rust as quickly. I also usually cut the pad in two pieces before using. This stretches the pads AND sharpens my kitchen shears at the same time.

I dilute my dish soap with white vinegar. This makes the dish soap cut grease better and makes the dish soap last longer. I also put this diluted dish soap in a small spray bottle and use it to spray just a tiny bit on the dishes i hand wash.

Originally posted by Chronicle When using soap-filled scrubbing pads like SOS, wet the object to be scrubbed instead of the pad. The pad lasts a lot longer and doesn't rust as quickly. I also usually cut the pad in two pieces before using. This stretches the pads AND sharpens my kitchen shears at the same time.

wow , never thought of that.. thanks. They usually rust on me with soap still left in them, and it becomes a mess. This should really stretch my sos pads out.

Cut brillo pads in half when you first bring them home from the store. (It will sharpen your scissors too) They are made for "icky" jobs anyway and I usually toss them after cleaning up pots and pans from one meal.

Originally posted by alabamagirl Cut brillo pads in half when you first bring them home from the store. (It will sharpen your scissors too) They are made for "icky" jobs anyway and I usually toss them after cleaning up pots and pans from one meal.

that is true alabamagirl... those things will still have soap left in them, but since I only use them for icky jobs, who wants to reuse it with all that ick and rust? LOL I'm fixing to go do this right now... and I thought I had learned all the frugal tricks I could already ! Just goes to show huh? I feel like saying duh to myself, why in the heck didn't I think of this one sooner? LOL